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The rate of smokeless tobacco use among middle- and high-school students did not change substantially overall between 2000 and 2011, a study showed. Use of such products in children aged 9 to 11 years and 12 to 14 years dropped by an average of 4.6% and 3.4% each year, respectively, but researchers found an increased rate among 15- to 17-year-olds. The findings, based on the CDC's National Youth Tobacco Survey, were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Related Summaries

Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System that included 9,655 high-school students showed the likelihood of cigarette smoking was about four times greater among smokeless tobacco users than those who did not use smokeless tobacco products. Teens who used smokeless tobacco were more likely to be white, male, and have engaged in binge drinking and sexual intercourse. The findings appear in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

Data from the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey involving 18,866 middle- and high-school students showed that that 2.6% of middle schoolers and 7.7% of high schoolers reported using smokeless tobacco, mostly chewing tobacco, snuff or dip. Overall, the rate of smokeless tobacco use was 5.6%, with more boys using such products than girls. Whites and Native Americans were more likely to use smokeless tobacco than blacks, researchers wrote in the journal Pediatrics.

New York City's Department of Health reported on Sunday a 27% decline in the number of teen pregnancies among public school students, with bigger decreases among 15- to 17-year-olds. Health officials attributed the decline to greater use of contraceptives and delayed sexual activity.

The number of U.S. teenagers using smokeless tobacco has been rising, a CDC official said in testifying before a House subcommittee, adding that teenagers might view smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco, as a safer alternative to cigarettes. A former baseball player called for a ban on the use of smokeless tobacco in Major League Baseball, saying players could be encouraging youths to use the cancer-causing substance.

The number of U.S. teenagers using smokeless tobacco has been rising, a CDC official said in testifying before a House subcommittee, adding that teenagers might view smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco, as a safer alternative to cigarettes. A former baseball player called for a ban on the use of smokeless tobacco in Major League Baseball, saying players could be encouraging youths to use the cancer-causing substance.